Preschool Special Education

Nassau County & Suffolk County - Long Island

Preschool Special Education

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) oversees a statewide Preschool Special Education program in conjunction with local municipalities, school districts, and approved providers like Alternatives For Children. The program is designed for preschool children who have, or are suspected of having a disability pursuant to Section 4410 of Article 89 of the New York State Education law. Evaluations and specially planned individual or group instructional programs and services are provided to eligible children who have a suspected developmental disability or delay that affects their learning.

How will I know if my preschool child needs Special Education?

You may have concerns about your preschool age child’s speech/language, cognitive, physical, social or behavioral development. Your pediatrician, or child’s preschool teacher may have brought their concerns to your attention.
 

If your child received Early Intervention services as an infant or toddler, they may need to continue with a Preschool Special Education program. In preparation for your child’s third birthday your ongoing service coordinator will assist you with transition planning and make a referral to your school district’s Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE).

If your preschool age child did not receive Early Intervention services, but has some suspected developmental delays, you may want to contact the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) of your local school district, who will then assist you in beginning the referral process.

Alternatives For Children Preschool Special Education

Alternatives For Children is a New York State Preschool Special Education provider, offering both integrated and self-contained preschool classes. Our integrated classrooms offer children with special needs the opportunity to learn and grow alongside their typically developing peers. All four Alternatives For Children locations are licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

At Alternatives For Children, we use the Creative Curriculum, which is aligned with the New York State Pre-Kindergarten Learning Standards to guide young children in learning and acquiring necessary content and skills. The Creative Curriculum is an early childhood curriculum designed to foster children’s social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language development, as well as enhance learning in literacy, math, social studies, the arts and technology.

At Alternatives For Children we encourage children to become independent, self-confident, curious learners. We provide a natural learning environment with opportunities to enhance and enrich your child’s educational experience. Our comprehensive preschool programs, taught by dually certified special education/early childhood education teachers and certified teacher assistants, are designed so that children will meet or exceed the criteria established for their age, be inquisitive, be ready to learn, and be successful as they transition to the kindergarten environment. Graduates leave Alternatives For Children ready to learn and ready for Kindergarten.

How do I begin the Evaluation Process?

Your first step is easy. Call up your local school district Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) and register your child for a preschool evaluation. This will authorize appropriate evaluations to take place. Preschool Special Education Evaluations are provided by your school district at no out-of-pocket cost to families.

The Evaluation Process

When your child is referred to the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE), you will be given a list of agencies approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), including Alternatives For Children, who can provide Preschool Special Education evaluations in the areas of:

Who will contact me about my child’s evaluation?

Once you have chosen Alternatives For Children as the agency to perform your child’s Preschool Special Education evaluation, and upon receiving consent to evaluate from your child’s school district, an Evaluation Coordinator from Alternatives For Children will contact you to discuss your concerns about your child’s development. Evaluations will be scheduled to address your concerns; including the New York State Education Department (NYSED) mandated psychological evaluation and social history. An observation of your child at one of our locations or your child’s preschool will also be completed.

Upon completion of your child’s evaluations, a representative from Alternatives For Children will contact you to review the evaluation results. You will receive a packet of your child’s evaluations in the mail prior to your Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) meeting. A representative from Alternatives for Children will also attend your CPSE meeting at the district to review the evaluation reports with the committee.

Who performs the evaluations on my child?

Alternatives For Children has a caring staff of licensed and certified professionals, with extensive training and experience working with preschoolers. These professionals will perform the evaluations and assist you through the evaluation process.

How long does this process take?

Alternatives For Children is state mandated to complete all evaluations, and send reports to the school district and families within sixty school days. Once the school district Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) receives the completed reports, they will contact you to schedule a committee meeting to discuss the evaluations and reports.  A parent must have all evaluation reports in their hands five days before the meeting.